How to Build the Perfect Skincare Routine
This is one of the questions I’m asked most often. And despite thousands of skincare products on the market, only a handful actually help your skin function better. Many products do very little—and some actively disrupt the skin, leading to irritation, inflammation, and faster visible aging. Skincare isn’t about chasing trends or using more products. It’s about taking care of your body’s largest organ—the skin—and either supporting or disrupting its natural ability to repair itself. A great skincare routine is simple, intentional, and built around bioactive ingredients the skin can recognize and use. The steps are the same for women and men, dry or oily skin, sensitive or acne-prone skin, and for beginners or skincare experts alike. What changes is the product selection, not the number of steps. Quality matters far more than quantity.
The Perfect Morning Routine
Step 1: Rinse or Wash
If you have normal to dry or sensitive skin, you do not need to cleanse in the morning. A rinse with lukewarm water will help you wake up and prep the skin for the next step without stripping the skin. If you have oily or acne-prone skin use a gentle cleanser. Pat skin dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 2: Antioxidant Protection
Apply an antioxidant treatment to clean, dry skin. Antioxidants protect the skin from free radicals generated by UV exposure, pollution, and even visible light—free radicals that break down collagen and contribute to pigment changes over time. The most well-studied effective antioxidant is vitamin C, others include vitamin E, ferulic acid, acetyl zingerone, coenzyme Q10, flavonoids and bakuchiol. When applied topically, they act as a protective shield on the skin’s surface, neutralizing damage before it penetrates deeper layers. If you have sensitive skin, vitamin C can be irritating at higher concentrations. Look for formulations at 10% or less and the oil-soluble form tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD), which is generally better tolerated.
Doctor Rogers Day Preventive Treatment with 10% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (vitamin C)
Step 3: Moisturizer
Moisturizer is not optional—it supports the skin barrier and optimizes how your skin functions throughout the day. Oily skin may prefer a lightweight lotion, while dry or sensitive skin benefits from a richer cream. One well-formulated moisturizer can be used on the face, eyes, neck, and chest—no need for separate products.
Doctor Rogers Face Lotion and Face Cream.
Step 4: Sunscreen
Broad-spectrum sunscreen should be worn every day, year-round. UV radiation is responsible for the majority of visible skin aging and significantly increases skin cancer risk. Mineral (zinc-based) sunscreens are often best tolerated by sensitive skin, but the most important sunscreen is the one you will actually use daily. If mineral sunscreen doesn’t work for you, choose a formula you’ll wear consistently. If you have dry or sensitive skin, apply moisturizer first, as zinc sunscreens can be drying without adequate hydration underneath. Reapply throughout the day when outdoors or near windows using whatever format you prefer.
My favorite sunscreen are listed here.
The Perfect Night Routine
Step 1: Cleanse
At night, cleansing is essential to remove sunscreen, makeup, pollution, and sweat. A gentle cleanser is sufficient—double cleansing is rarely necessary for healthy skin.
Step 2: Night Treatment
Night treatments can help improve cell turnover, pigmentation, and fine lines. Common options include retinoids, bakuchiol, or exfoliating acids. Oily skin may tolerate stronger actives, while sensitive or aging skin often does better with gentler alternatives. Use the smallest effective amount, avoid the immediate eye area, and always follow with moisturizer. More is not better. If your skin is irritated or your barrier is compromised, skip this step entirely.
Doctor Rogers Night Repair Treatment
Step 3: Moisturizer
Finish with a moisturizer to support overnight repair. The same moisturizer used in the morning can be used at night—apply generously to the face, neck, and chest. You do not need a separate eye cream if your moisturizer is well formulated and gentle.
The Most Important Skincare Rule: Be Selective
You do not need an extensive routine. In fact, more steps often increase irritation and disrupt the skin barrier. I recommend investing in five well-formulated products rather than dozens of specialty items.
The Essential Five
- A gentle face wash: Doctor Rogers Face Wash
- A quality face moisturizer used morning and night: Doctor Rogers Face Lotion or Face Cream
- A daily sunscreen: My favorites
- A vitamin C–based antioxidant serum to use in the morning to protect from skin damage: Doctor Rogers Day Preventive Treatment
- A night cell turnover treatment to use at night to repair skin damage: Doctor Rogers Night Repair Treatment
Products You Don’t Need
Eye creams, neck creams, toners, separate day and night moisturizers, and single-ingredient serums such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, mists, or essences. These products aren’t harmful by default, but they’re rarely necessary and often add cost and complexity without improving results. One excellent moisturizer can care for your entire face, neck, and chest.
Final Thoughts
Skincare works best when it supports the skin instead of overwhelming it. Fewer steps, better products, and bioactive ingredients that work with skin biology will always outperform complicated routines. Healthy skin isn’t built by doing more—it’s built by doing what matters, consistently.
All product recommendations on this site are not sponsored and reflect the independent opinion of Dr. Heather D. Rogers, MD, based on her evidence-based research and extensive clinical experience as a practicing dermatologist. Links are provided for your convenience. Some may include discounts or commissions. Please shop wherever works best for you.
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